chocolate – The Review Studio

Wickedly Welsh Chocolate Great Taste Trio

Birthday Gifts, Children, chocolate, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Stocking Fillers, Summer

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

As if you need a reason to celebrate chocolate, there is an important day in the calendar – 7 July, which is World Chocolate Day! To mark the occasion, Wickedly Welsh, the British chocolate makers, have sent us the Great Taste Trio of three different flavoured chocolates to try. We’ve never said no to chocolate in this office and today wasn’t the day we were going to start!

The trio are three flavours; Orange Marmalade, Dark Chocolate & Welsh Sea Salt and Mint Crunch. Two of the flavours has won the Great Taste awards (Mint Crunch in 2017 and Welsh Sea Salt in 2021) with Orange Marmalade being inspired by an award winning recipe. Each bar is handmade in Wales, and handmade is not something we associate with chocolate in this country so this is a rare treat.

The Orange Marmalade flavour is set in dark chocolate with a half and half mixture of tangy and sweet, much like the jar of marmalade you remember growing up. It also has a little Cointreau but you can hardly taste it, it’s just the aftertaste on your tongue that you might notice the slightly orange flavour. The dark chocolate is smooth and rich and brings out the orange flavour. With the Dark Chocolate &Welsh Chocolate Sea Salt, the minerals of the sea salt are apparent as soon as the dark chocolate starts melting and you can feel the crystals dissolve. The juxtaposition of the salt and dark chocolate work really well together, reminding me of the sea at night when you can hear and smell it but you can’t see it. If you like dark chocolate, then this flavour is a great addition to your taste buds!

Finally, my favourite is the Wickedly Welsh Mint Crunch. Again, this is dark chocolate, swirled with peppermint and meant as an after-dinner chocolate or to cleanse the palate. It reminds me of an Aero bar but with more peppermint and a richer flavour because the chocolate has a higher cocoa content and less sugar. It’s particularly good when added to cooking. Have you tried making your own croissants at home from the ready-made packets and adding some chocolate before you roll them? Instant chocolate croissant, and the Mint Crunch chocolate bar adds not just the novel flavour to the chocolate filled pastry, but extra texture too. I think Mint Crunch is my favourite!

Wickedly Welsh have a whole host of different flavours of chocolate on their website and are adding new products all the time, but the Great Taste Trio is a fabulous place to start.

Available online for £14.97 at: https://www.wickedlywelsh.co.uk/collections/best-selling-products/products/your-great-taste-trio

Thorntons Chocolate Pearls

Birthday Gifts, Children, chocolate, Family Life, Father's Day, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Stocking Fillers

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Chocolate isn’t just for Easter, or Christmas but all year round the family can enjoy these Thorntons Chocolate Pearls – or would you give them to Dad for Father’s Day?

These new offerings from Thorntons are boxes of delicious individually wrapped chocolates (in the shape of a pearl) in two distinct flavours –Brownie Deluxe and Salted Caramel Sensation. Each box contains 167 grams of chocolates, which is about 18 chocolates per box. The chocolate is the same world-famous Thorntons chocolate you’re used to, with a rich smoothness to the milk chocolate but with new fillings to keep you happy!

Starting with the Salted Caramel Sensation Pearls, this flavour is relatively new given the history of chocolate but it’s everywhere now. More of a flavour for grown-ups, children will actually appreciate this variety because it’s not overpowering nor too different. The shell is made of milk chocolate with the salted caramel soft centre easy to enjoy. There’s only a hint of the salt in there, but mostly the pleasure comes from the caramel which is very rich, but not so rich that you couldn’t eat just one pearl at a time. Thorntons have really got the balance right between the size of the bite and the richness of the chocolate and filling.

The second flavour we were sent was Thorntons Brownie Deluxe. These are the same pearls with a milk chocolate shell then the filling is rich chocolate with tiny biscuit bits to make it a Brownie. The filling is not the same chocolate as the shell; it’s softer and more like a chocolate cake piece, as the name suggests. There’s not too much biscuit in it, which is something I hate in chocolates, it is more of a rich chocolate fondant and a tiny amount of small bits of biscuit. It add texture but without taking away from the chocolate indulgence!

These Thorntons Pearls could be shared by the whole family, but if Dad is a chocolate fiend, he’ll love these sophisticated chocolate flavours and will be able to drown in as much or as little of the lovely chocolatey tastes Thorntons is famous for.

Available in supermarkets or online for £5.28:

Brownie Pearls: https://www.thorntons.com/uk/en/p/pearls-brownie-deluxe/77233281

Salted Caramel Pearls: https://www.thorntons.com/uk/en/p/thorntons-pearls-salted-caramel-sensation/77226875

St Michel Choco Snacks

Children, chocolate, Family Life, Home, Lunchbox Fillers, snacks, Summer

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

The St Michel Muffin, Waffle, Burger and Donut Choco snacks have recently been launched in the UK and we were sent a sample of each to try for this summer.

Made completely free from palm oil with no preservatives, interestingly they are made with cage-free eggs, giving a better life to the hens. St Michel is France’s premiere cake and biscuit brand, in business since 1905 and very proud of how they select the best quality ingredients.

Each box has 6 individually wrapped cakes, each one weighing around 30 grams each. Each variety has a different shape and use of the chocolate, so you’ll soon have a preference as to whether you like your chocolate in the middle (Choco Burger) or a Choco Donut, dipped in chocolate instead. The Choco Muffins are just as tasty and probably more suited to adults wanting a snack in the office or on the go and the Choco Waffles make a fun treat for anyone.

They’re made in France with French ingredients including French wheat with each sponge cake in a different shape or formation and topped or filled with smooth chocolate. They certainly have that chocolate-y taste which gives you the sweet hit when you need it. The sponges are feather light and contain sunflower oil instead of palm oil to not only save the palm oil forests but the sunflower gives a different hit to the texture of the sponge. The chocolate, which is made of hazelnut paste, is deliciously decadent and just what you would imagine from French patisseries. Just keep them less than 25 degrees centigrade otherwise you’ll end up with a sticky mess this summer!

St Michel Choco snacks are a fabulous snack idea for anyone who loves cake, needs a snack or wants something with a bit more goodness than sweets during the day. Perfect for chocolate lovers too.

Available from £2.00 at Tesco, Waitrose and online at Ocado: https://www.ocado.com/products/st-michel-doomino-chocolate-584037011

Love Raw Easter Box

Children, chocolate, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.

These days there is so much choice when it comes to Easter Eggs and no matter what your taste there is an egg for you. Some of my friends and family are vegan and there’s also a couple with dairy intolerances so it’s fantastic to see such a good selection of plant based chocolate this year, meaning they don’t need to miss out on this chocolately tradition.

Love Raw make the most delicious plant based chocolate and they have just launched a limited edition Easter box, although you’ll need to be quick as it’s only available from the 22^nd to 24^th March!

Inside the box are the following products

1 x Nutty Choc Ball Box containing 9 individually wrapped balls.

Nutty Choc Balls are a crunchy hazelnut coated in a delicious vegan cream and then covered in a crisp wafer shell and finished with Low Raw’s iconic m:lk choc and hazelnut pieces. They are absolutely scrummy and it’s probably a good job there’s only 9 in the box!!

3 x White Choc Cream Wafer Bar
Each bar contains a deliciously crispy wafer, oozing with Love Raw’s signature cre&m® filling and generously smothered with vegan white chocolate. Whether you’re vegan or not you need to try these!

3 x Milk & 3 x White Choc Peanut Buttercups
Each cup oozes smooth, creamy peanut butter and is covered in Love Raw’s iconic m:lk® and white choc. In my opinion peanuts and chocolate are a winning combination and Love Raw are definitely on to a winner with these.

RRP £29.99 available here

Thorntons Easter Eggs

Children, chocolate, Easter, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Whatever type of chocolate you love – be it dark, milk or white you can always rely on Thorntons to have an egg with your name on it! This year they have a fantastic selection of eggs to choose from which are bound to delight both young and old this Easter.

The white chocolate Bunny Easter Egg and Milk Chocolate Unicorn Easter Eggs will go down a treat with the little (and not so little) this year. The hollow 151g eggs are beautifully decorated with a moulded chocolate image, the white chocolate has a super cute bunny on the front whilst the milk chocolate egg has a fantastic pink and white chocolate unicorn. The chocolate tastes delicious, it’s lovely and thick and creamy and simply melts in your mouth.

RRP £4.25 at selected supermarkets and Thorntons.com.

The Happy Bunny (90g) is a great choice for smaller children and is available in both a white chocolate and milk chocolate version. The cute little bunny with white and green chocolate decorations was a big hit with our mini reviewers who despite loving the sweet faces soon demolished them!

RRP £2.74 at selected supermarkets and Thorntons.com.

Adults may prefer the Thorntons Classic Easter Egg (150g) which comes with 5 chocolates from the Classic collection – Gooey Caramel, Triple Chocolate, Strawberries & Cream, Crunchy Praline and Fudge Brownie. There’s a nice assortment of chocolates so everyone should get their favourite. The chocolate is smooth and creamy and this egg was a real winner with the Review Studio team.

RRP £5.48 at selected supermarkets.

If your budget stretches to double figures, then the premium Continental Easter Egg (257g) is the one to go for. Decorated with swirling loops of white and dark chocolate this large egg comes with 8 Continental chocolates – there are two of the Seville Caramel and Viennese Deluxe chocolates (to share or not is the question???) and one each of the Sicilian Mousse, Alpini Praline and Salted Caramel. The egg not only looks impressive, it tastes lovely too and with a mix of white, milk and dark chocolates they have all tastes covered.

RRP £11.77 at selected supermarkets.

Thorntons Easter Egg are a lovely indulgent treat for chocolate lovers young and old and with an egg to suit all budgets they are the perfect choice this Easter – and whilst you’re buying them as gifts treat yourself too – it is Easter after all!

Easter Eggs and Treats from NOMO

Children, chocolate, Easter, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Lunchbox Fillers, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

NOMO want to ensure that Easter this year is available to everyone, so with their mantra, “No Missing Out” they are ready for anything! The NOMO range this year incudes chocolate which is dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free plus plant based so there’s no excuses to buy something for everyone. We were sent a yummy selection to test before the big Easter Weekend… did we find something we all liked?

The NOMO Creamy Choc Egg and Mini Bars is a conventional Easter Egg with four mini bars of NOMO chocolates in flavours Choco Orange Crunch, Caramel, Mint and Caramel Sea Salt. All of them are usual flavours of NOMO chocolate and found in shops, but together they make a package of chocolate and eggs for Easter. The mini bars are just like the creamy chocolate (which is comparable to milk chocolate just without the dairy!) in that they all taste like you expect chocolate to taste, but without the dairy, gluten, nuts or egg and are plant-powered. They’re also all vegan too!

Next we tried the NOMO Choco Fudge Egg & Bunny. This is probably for older children or even dairy-free adults as the chocolate is much richer, more fudge filled and has tiny fudge pieces in it. The accompanying bunny is also a treat and filled of fudge too! Like the Creamy Choc egg, this too is dairy, gluten, nut and egg free with no palm oil and yes, it’s also vegan. Can you see where the theme, “No Missing Out” comes into play? No matter what you might be intolerable to or what you can’t eat, there’s a flavour of NOMO chocolate waiting for you.

Finally, the snack of grown-ups is the individually wrapped Choc Fudge Bunny. It’s part of the aforementioned Easter Egg combination but for 90 pence you can buy these on their own and enjoy a creamy chocolate hit. The outside chocolate is creamy choc with a filling of a rich fudge flavoured centre. At only 30 grams they are a sweet afternoon treat, or something to add to lunch to give you the chocolate hit but without the environmental guilt or having to think about what it might contain. Also great for friends if you want to get them something for Easter but not something they might be allergic to, or if you’re unsure if they are vegan or vegetarian!

The Choc Fudge Easter Egg and the Bunny are probably my favourite because I love richer chocolate and the fudge makes a nice change. You really can’t tell if they’re conventional chocolate or free-from chocolate because they’re so well made and have all the flavour and sweetness of High Street chocolate.

No matter who you’re buying Easter Eggs for, this year you have a lovely choice from NOMO and no matter what someone’s need, or taste in chocolate, there is no reason for anyone to miss out.

NOMO Creamy Choc Eggs and Mini Bars (154 grams) MRRP £6.50:

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/nomo-creamy-choc-egg-mini-bars-154g

NOMO Choc Fudge Bunny (30 grams) MRRP 90p:

NOMO Choc Fudge Bunny 20 x 30g

NOMO Choc Fudge Egg & Bunny (160 grams) MRRP £6.50:

NOMO Choc Fudge Egg & Bunny

Just Spices DIY Chocolate Kit

Birthday Gifts, Children, chocolate, Easter, Family Life, Gifts for children

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Easter is now synonymous with chocolate, or at least it is in our house! It’s also the end of Lent, which often is a time for giving up chocolate in most households. This Easter, you can indulge in chocolate as well as keep the children happy during the holidays with this alternative to an Easter Egg – the Just Spices DIY Chocolate Kit.

The kit contains two chocolate silicone moulds, clear wrappers and cardboard packaging, a booklet on how to make chocolate bars and 11 spice sachets. The spice sachets, which Just Spices are famous for, include Peppermint, Pink Pepper, Ceylon Cinnamon and more unusual flavours like carrot and Anise. If you’re into gourmet chocolate, you’ll know that all the big chocolate houses are now doing flavoured chocolate bars as well as boxes of your favourite flavours, so these spices will go down a treat with the whole family!

The handy booklet that’s contained in the kit talks you through everything that’s needed and how to make the chocolate. It’s worth noting at this point though, that the kit doesn’t have the chocolate included – you have to purchase that yourself. You also need a saucepan and heat-proof bowl, kitchen scales, a spatula and a kitchen thermometer. The booklet calls it ‘The Ultimate Guide’ to getting started making chocolate and takes you on easy to follow steps through the process. The first step is to heat the chocolate you’ve bought and make sure that it doesn’t overheat otherwise it spoils! Taking the chocolate to the right temperature is crucial and make sure that that the chocolate doesn’t come in contact with the water.

Once you read up about getting the temperature right (I had no idea that was an art in itself!) then you can add the spices. There is an art to this as well, making sure that the spices are added before the chocolate gets too cold and placing it in the silicone mould. It needs to harden at room temperature before it goes into the fridge to set completely. The chocolate is best eaten at room temperature but you can keep it in the fridge or a pantry cupboard.

The whole process takes an hour or so if you’re following the instructions and can be completed by children, especially young teenagers who are supervised around the hot saucepan. Smaller children will need to be brought in at a later stage when the heating is done, but they will enjoy mixing in the spices and smoothing off with a spatula. It will depend on your children’s patience as to how long they are willing to wait for the chocolate to set, but you can guarantee they will love licking the chocolate off of their fingers when they’re finished!

The silicone mould can be used again and again and the spices are available on the Just Spices website if you need more. The packaging is a nice edition but you don’t need it for every time you make the chocolate, only if you’re giving the bars as a gift.

This is a nice way to spend an afternoon with the family or as a give to a family at Easter. Those who are particularly good at crafting will enjoy this starter kit and how the chocolate process works, especially if you go on to make more varieties of flavoured chocolates in the future using the Just Spices ingredients!

£29.99 at: https://www.justspices.co.uk/diy-chocolate-kit.html

Lola’s Cupcakes Valentine’s Postal Cake

Birthday Gifts, chocolate, Easter, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Love is in the air and The Review Studio team have been spoilt rotten by our loved ones today. As well as the usual chocolates and flowers we’ve had a very special delivery from Lola’s Cupcakes who make the most amazing cakes. Their stores are mainly in London, but they do offer a nationwide delivery service, meaning everyone can enjoy their delicious bakes.

When sending cakes through the post they need to be well packaged to ensure they arrive in perfect condition and I was really impressed with the care that goes into the packaging. The cake sits in a carboard box with a protective layer of cardboard on the top and there is a cool block and thermal liner to ensure they arrive in tip top condition. Once opened the cake should be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container and is best eaten within 48 hours. It can be kept in the fridge for another 2 days – ours didn’t last that long!! The thermal liner and ice pack can also be returned to Lola’s Cupcakes and they will be cleaned and reused which is a great idea and to make it even easier there is a prepaid label so it doesn’t cost you a penny.

So, onto the important bit – the cake – the Valentine’s Postal Cake not only looks amazing but tastes fantastic too. The delicious chocolate sponge is beautifully decorated with pink vanilla buttercream with “Happy Valentines” iced in the middle. It won’t come as a surprise to hear that it is adorned with hearts – a couple even have “Love” written on them and there are plenty of Valentines sprinkles and a few rose petals to complete the Valentines theme. The cake has a nice thick layer of pink buttercream sandwiched between the two moist chocolate sponges and once we had cut into it, we discovered that the cake was light and fluffy, nice and chocolatey and incredibly tasty.

We were all really impressed with this cake, it has travelled a few hundred miles yet still looks like it has just been picked up fresh from the bakery. Lola’s Cupcakes make all their cakes daily by hand and from scratch, using only the very best ingredients and have a fantastic selection of cakes, cupcakes and brownies available on their website. The cakes make lovely gifts so next time you need a birthday, anniversary, get well soon, Mother’s Day, Easter or even a “Just Because” gift for a loved one then Lola’s Cupcakes is the place to go and I guarantee they will be well received by the recipient!

Small (serves 8) £25

Large (serves 14) £40

LoveRaw’s Nutty Choc Balls

Birthday Gifts, chocolate, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Lunchbox Fillers, snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

LoveRaw started in 2013 with the crazy idea of founder Rini to create vegan chocolate that tasted like regular chocolate. In the 10+ years since then, the website has grown and the product line has exploded to include all sorts of varieties of chocolate, including the Nutty Choco Balls (milk chocolate) that we were sent this week to try!

LoveRaw chocolate is not only vegan but is completely plant based, has no palm oil and no added artificial ingredients either. LoveRaw product chocolate bars which are similar to commercial treats on the market, and are less about blocks or bars of pure chocolate or they type of chocolate you can cook with. The LoveRaw chocolate bars are the type of treats you’d buy for yourself for lunch, or as snacks for children. The fact that you can buy them in bulk (typically packs of around 16 bars) means you can keep them for lunchboxes or even use for children’s parties where anyone, even though with dairy allergies or who are vegetarian or vegan can eat them.

The Nutty Choc Balls are based on a famous commercial chocolate that the Ambassador would enjoy… each one is individually wrapped and contains a hazelnut surrounded by hazelnut cream, wafer then milk chocolate and finally a coating of hazelnut pieces. Guessed what it is yet? The pieces are easily eaten after dinner, during a meeting or as they were in our house, as a snack in the afternoon when you need just one or two for a quick sweet hit of sugar.

You really can’t tell the difference between the commercial chocolates and the LoveRaw variety. The chocolate still has a smoothness to it and tastes like chocolate should. The added hazelnut pieces and hazelnut cream are still silky and indulgent and the wafer adds the decadent touch we look for in these chocolates. The team at LoveRaw also sent me some Cream Wafer Bars in milk and white chocolate which I have tasted before, and the LoveRaw Peanut Caramel Bar in Milk Choc which is new to me, but I will make room for!

LoveRaw Nutty Choc Balls available from £9.99 here: https://eatloveraw.com/products/m-lk-choc-nutty-choc-balls-box

Island Bakery Biscuits

Birthday Gifts, chocolate, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Mother's Day, Stocking Fillers

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Organic biscuits, shortbreads and nibbles made in the Hebrides, Scotland.

Here at the Review Studio we never say no to trying something new but biscuits are a clear winner! Even better, the Island Bakery biscuits are organic and sourced with local ingredients where they are made on the Island of Mull. The team sent us 3 varieties to choose from their range of 11; Apple Crumbles, Chocolate Gingers and their savoury Cheese Biscuits. How quickly do you think we put the kettle on to test these…?

Island Bakery Cheese Biscuits

Starting with the Cheese Biscuits, these are flavoured Harissa & Cumin. The cheese is sourced locally in Tobermory, where the Island Bakery is situated on the Isle of Mull and the cheese comes from just one herd of Friesian, Holstein and Brown Swiss cattle. Each biscuit is made with real butter and the harissa warms the texture of the biscuit along with the cumin. You’ll notice other spices in there, which work brilliantly with any of the cheeses you choose to pair with the Island Bakery Cheese Biscuits. A fabulous savoury offering that if you’re clever, you might even be able to pass off as homemade!

Available at £3.79: https://www.islandbakery.scot/product/isle-of-mull-cheese-biscuits-harissa-with-chilli-cumin/

Island Bakery Apple Crumbles

Onto the sweeter biscuits, suitable for tea or coffee or just as a snack on their own. The Apple Crumbles are oaty biscuits, made with real, dried apple piece and apple juice, complete with sprinkles of cinnamon. The biscuits are snappy, not soft and chewy and work exceptionally well dunked in tea, although they’re far better as a biscuit on their own. In fact, they were more like a snack than a biscuit because I had intended to eat two (purely for testing reason you understand!) but one was enough. They’re very filling which is probably because they are made with real products and not with additives and synthetics. They’re great for after Sunday lunch and remind you of grandma’s homemade cookies.

Available from £3.15: https://www.islandbakery.scot/product/apple-crumbles-2/

Island Bakery Chocolate Gingers

Sharp, spicy and wickedly delicious, these Chocolate Gingers pack a punch after you bite into them and start to chew. Made with stem ginger, and lashings of it by the taste of them, they are also half coated in dark chocolate. They’re very hearty and much like the Apple Crumbles, they don’t need a second one (unless you really want to!) to fill you up. I think I loved these the most because of both their texture, and the juxtaposition of the ginger and the sweet sugar taste. The added chocolate is a welcome bonus and its generous chocolate too. I was still savouring the chunks of ginger with my tea long after the biscuit was devoured and the tingling sensation was still in my mouth from the ginger. These are much better than the High Street variety where they go soggy if left out for a few days. The Island Bakery Chocolate Gingers are a biscuit lover’s dream and so moreish you’ll be buying these as gifts too.

Available from £3.95: https://www.islandbakery.scot/product/chocolate-gingers-copy/

All of the biscuits are delicious, and that was only a small selection from the website. Other flavours include Lime Melts, Lemon Melts, Blonde Chocaccinos (coffee and cinnamon) and other savoury biscuits such as Onion and Thyme Cheese Biscuits. There’s also biscuits in tins available on the website shop, which are great for giving as gifts. Delivery is £5 in the UK only but if you order more than £30 worth, delivery is free.

Blind Test of the LoveRaw Chocolate vs High Street Brands

Children, chocolate, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for children, Home, Lunchbox Fillers, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

We’ve never really done a proper Blind Test before. That is, officially comparing one brand of a product against another, without knowing which brand is which and not being able to tell them apart. So when LoveRaw Chocolate asked us to test and review their product against other brands, it was quite the coup! Naturally, we love anything that’s a challenge but when it involves chocolate too, we’re all ears…

LoveRaw are a chocolate brand with a difference. They produce chocolate products which are largely vegan (allergens are listed so you can check easily) and they have a whole host of products available which seem to be ever growing and includes white, dark and milk chocolate alternatives.

We were sent a Blind Tasting Pack which had three different LoveRaw products; Nutty Choc Balls, Cream Wafer Bar (milk chocolate) and Cream Wafer Bar (white chocolate. Each of the LoveRaw products was teamed up with the High Street equivalent and all the items were in clear packaging, just marked with their numbers for easy identification. The LoveRaw products are all plant based, contain no palm oil and have no artificials. The High Street versions are not any of those (ie not plant based, contain palm oil and have artificial ingredients.) A sealed black envelope was also included so that after the tasting you can find out which were the real LoveRaw items. How exciting!

First up was the Nutty Choc Balls. Looking at them, I couldn’t tell the difference. They look incredibly similar and when I bit into them, the chocolate didn’t give me any clues as to which one was plant based. I guessed that A1 was the High Street variety only because it tasted slightly more processed. A2 had a smoother texture which led me to think it was made with more love. We shall find out the answers at the end of the testing (even I haven’t opened the envelope yet!)

Second was the Cream Wafer Bar in Milk Chocolate. These bars looked different. B1 looks like it’s intricately made by a machine in a factory and the bar is slightly longer. B2 is smoother, and the chocolate looks darker so I suspect that this is the LoveRaw one to look at. Tasting them, B2 has a lighter texture to it and has more layers but the chocolate between the two tastes the same. B1 has more additives, you can tell that from opening the packet and the smell of the chocolate is artificial. In this testing, I think B2 is the LoveRaw product.

Finally, it’s the Cream Wafer Bar with White Chocolate. I’m not a huge fan of white chocolate so this is going to a different type of test. C1 looks like it’s made in a factory because it’s got intricate designs on it whereas C2 looks like it could be handmade and dusted with chocolate flavouring. As for the taste, I started with what I thought was the High Street version (C1). It’s light and wafer-like and I like the texture of it. C2 is densely packed and doesn’t melt as easily but both taste of white chocolate and have some fun sweet flavours going on. I think C2 is the LoveRaw version.

So to recap, before we go to the big finale, this is what I think the products are:

Nutty Choc Balls: A1 is the High Street Competitor; A2 is LoveRaw

Cream Wafer Bar (milk chocolate): B1 is the High Street Competitor; B2 is LoveRaw

Cream Wafer Bar (white chocolate): C1 is the High Street Competitor, C2 is LoveRaw

Let’s scroll down to see the results in the black envelope…

So I was right for the Milk Chocolate Cream Wafer Bar but wrong for the Nutty Choc Balls and White Chocolate Cream Wafer Bar! Goes to prove that you really can’t tell the difference between LoveRaw and the High Street Competitors!

All of the LoveRaw products are found online at their website shop: https://eatloveraw.com/collections/vegan-chocolate

Joe & Seph’s Best Selling Popcorn

Birthday Gifts, Children, chocolate, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Welcome in the New Year with your new favourite snack – Joe & Seph’s Gourmet Popcorn! Made in artisan kitchens, Joe & Seph’s Popcorn uses the highest possible standard ingredients to bring you not just all your usual flavours but some of the more exotic ones as well!

We were sent a selection of favourite flavours to try – Salted Caramel, Double Chocolate Caramel, Coconut & Cacao and one of the Joe & Seph staples – their Milk Chocolate Popcorn Bites. If you’ve never tried these before, then they’re a treat you’re missing out on. They are decadent milk chocolate cups containing one piece of Joe & Seph’s Gourmet Popcorn in Salted Caramel flavour. Each ‘bite’ melts in your mouth with the combined texture of chocolate and popcorn and the added kick of a little bit of salted caramel to give you a chocolate pick-me-up with a difference. These are probably my favourite snacks at Joe & Seph’s and I keep them in the fridge so that I can pop a few whenever I’m at the fridge! The chocolate is the scene stealer here, and the caramel popcorn is stunning dialogue to the best snack ever.

Coconut & Cacao is just as chocolatey but has that slight hint of coconut to it, which adds not just flavour but a bit if texture too. The popcorn is expertly air-popped and coated with this vegan caramel and added coconut and just a pinch of cacao. It has a taste combination that you don’t find anywhere else (but should) and reminds me of when you have both coconut and chocolate ice cream in the same bowl and it brings out the flavour in each.

Salted Caramel is the leader of the pack because everyone loves this taste combination that once used to turn up noses. The ‘salted’ element isn’t that strong but the smoothness of the caramel takes this flavoured air-popped popcorn into gourmet range. This is definitely a snack you can share with other people or even have as a dessert instead of puddings; it’s got a sweetness to it and a texture that’s really decadent and appeals to everyone. I reckon even children would eat this!

Lastly, we have the Double Chocolate Caramel. Yes it has caramel, but it also has DOUBLE CHOCOLATE which frankly is what you’re actually buying this for! The rich chocolate taste is what comes across most in this flavour, with the caramel giving the golden texture. They’re very more-ish, which makes them quite filling, plus they fulfil the chocolate hit you might be craving as a snack or after dinner.

All the Joe & Seph popcorns are a treat, and these favourite flavours are no exception! Available online from £4 at: https://www.joeandsephs.co.uk/bestsellers

NEW Plant Based Range at Costa Coffee

chocolate, coffee, Family Life, Food & Drink, health, Lunchbox Fillers, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Whether you’re an old hand vegan or starting out on your vegan journey this January, Costa have a surprising amount of food items on their menu which are perfect for you. We were sent out to our local Costa Coffee to see what was available and check out the new items on the menu.

For 2024, there are their new Hot Milkshakes. In three flavours, White Chocolate and Strawberry, Salted Caramel Coffee, and Chocolate Hazel they are thick like a milkshake, but made with warm milk and topped with different flavoured sprinkles, dependant on what flavour you order. They’re a cross between a hot chocolate and a milkshake, especially with the Light Whip cream on top to make it extra indulgent.

We tried items from the Plant Based menu, including this Plant Based Saucy Chicken Fajita Wrap. It doesn’t contain chicken at all; every ingredient is plant based, but the substitutes taste like chicken and even have a chicken-like texture. They’re slightly lighter than the meat version though, with the ‘chicken’ pieces as you would imagine, a tortilla wrap, roasted peppers and a spicy tomato sauce. We paired that with a beautiful Chocolate Tiffin Cake, which although it’s not plant-based, it is vegetarian. If you’re not into chocolate for New Year, then there’s a new range of cakes (which are also vegetarian) such as new Banana Loaf Cake and new Orange and Raspberry Victoria Sponge. Anyone who remembers the Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake will be very pleased to see that it’s back on the menu and as delicious as always!

Lastly, there are the assortment of Costa drinks. It sometimes feels like you could have a different drink every day of the month and still not try all of them in their different configurations of milks, toppings and additions but the staple drinks we all love are still there – namely coffee. We tried a Salted Caramel Frappé which was made vegan with coconut milk instead of cow’s milk and the whipped cream on top was vegan too. The drink is laced with Salted Caramel and topped with tiny caramel pieces which not only add to the flavour but add a gorgeous texture as well. I found that the Chicken Fajita Wrap, Chocolate Tiffin and Salted Caramel Frappé were all very filling and no different to a meat-eating lunch I would normally choose.

Costa Coffee Plant Based items are available in store and you can see their menu and prices here: https://www.costa.co.uk/menu

Thorntons Chocolate Advent Calendar

advent calendar, chocolate, Christmas, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

These days advent calendars have lots of different goodies hiding behind the windows, including beauty products, alcohol and toys, but I much prefer the traditional ones that contain chocolate – after all what other time of the year can you get away with chocolate for breakfast!!

Whilst Thorntons have closed all their high street shops, you can still get their delicious chocolates in supermarkets and online and I was delighted to receive The Best of Thorntons Advent calendar which contains 24 yummy chocolates from the Continental and Classic range as well as a couple of the new Thorntons Pearls.

This really is a sophisticated advent calendar for grown up kids – the snow scene design is very festive and there is a delicious chocolate to enjoy each day. As the selection of chocolates are from 3 different ranges there is a great mix of mouth-watering flavours in milk, dark and white chocolate and with 12 different chocolates in the calendar you can look forward to a second one appearing again later on in the month.

So on to the chocolates – my favourite has to be the Triple Chocolate, bite into it and your mouth is filled with the taste of smooth, quality chocolate. The Orange Velvet Pearl is a real taste sensation, a decadent orange chocolate ganache coated in smooth milk chocolate.

Though more expensive than the average supermarket calendar you simply can’t go wrong with this Thorntons advent calendar, weighing in at 258g, you’re getting plenty of chocolate for your money.

If you have a chocoholic in your household, I would recommend you treat them to this advent calendar, or just treat yourself – it is Christmas after all!

RRP: £15.33

Available from: Lidl, Sainsbury and Thortons.com

Joe & Seph’s Christmas Popcorn and Festive Chocolates

Children, chocolate, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, secret santa, Stocking Fillers

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Christmas is the time for over indulging, and if you’ve been following us this year with our Joe & Seph’s Popcorn features, then you’ll love what they have sent us to try from their Festive range. This week we had turn up;

Small Star Salted Caramel Gift Box
Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Truffles
Yule Log Flavoured Popcorn
Festive Popcorn Slab

Quite the Christmas Collection!

Joe & Seph’s are known for their popcorn snacks, and these Christmas additions are no exception. We tried out all of them, but started with the Festive Popcorn Slab. This could be a stocking filler or a Secret Santa but is ideal for sharing as you break off pieces to devour, probably in front of the TV! At 115 grams it’s a good size for a family and includes salted caramel flavoured popcorn covered in milk and white chocolate. You can see the salted caramel on the popcorn and the chocolate drizzles are indulgent and smooth, just like Joe & Seph’s other premium chocolate products!

The Joe & Seph’s Yule Log flavoured gourmet popcorn combines their famous, high quality chocolate with cream cheese frosting to give the yule log flavour we are all familiar with. The coating is rich and chocolatey with a lovely sweetness to it. It’s great for sharing in the grab bag and as ever, Joe & Seph’s popcorn has no kernels left at the bottom to throw away nor does it have any misshapen pieces which nobody can eat!

Onto the Salted Caramel Truffles. The tube contains 100 grams of sweets (roughly 10 in all) which are soft salted caramel in the middle with Joe & Seph’s award winning chocolate coating. They’re like lava cakes, with their melting inners which you only discover when you bite into the shell. Or do you melt them in your mouth until you can taste the caramel? I don’t have the patience for that, so I just crunch them until the sweet caramel taste oozes through my teeth. The milk chocolate outer is sprinkled with cocoa powder to give it more decadence and now you have another Christmas treat to share.

Finally, we have my favourite of the bunch. Joe & Seph’s Salted Caramel Popcorn in a star gift box. With 32 grams of fun here, the gift box is brilliant for Secret Santa in the office or for adding to a stocking. The popcorn is their classic, award winning salted caramel flavour. Smooth caramel meets a pinch of salt with each popcorn bite and the resulting taste is music to the taste buds! These won’t last long though, so if you know you are going to be looking for more, try the bigger 105 gram size!

Popcorn lovers will adore the Joe & Seph’s range this Christmas, but even if you’re not a popcorn-fiend, you’ll find something in their Christmas collection you’ll enjoy: https://www.joeandsephs.co.uk/christmas

All items available online at the link above and varying prices. Some items are currently available in the Black Friday sale.

LoveRaw Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Children, chocolate, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

LoveRaw have produced their first ever vegan advent calendar for 2023 on the back of their meteoric rise to chocolate heaven since 2013. LoveRaw have sent us one of their new advent calendars to review and the back story of how the LoveRaw team came about.

Back in 2013, Rini and Manar had what they called a ‘crazy idea’ to create vegan chocolate, but for it to also not taste vegan at all. This included using unconventional products (for the time) and trying to get the attention of lots of buyers. Along the past 10+ years, they have rejected Dragon’s Den offers, developed tons more products and probably become sick of the sight of chocolate to come to this point where they are able to sell vegan chocolate to the masses.

LoveRaw’s chocolate is made with no palm oil and no artificial ingredients. All of the base ingredients are plant based (such as chickpea protein concentrate) and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. In fact, they say that it’s suitable for everyone, including ‘Unvegans’ who aren’t vegan at all but happy to eat something that has been produced in the vegan way. Their chocolate contains sugar, but beyond that there are no other ingredients which you might want to. Stay away from. There’s a whole list of ingredients on the back that you’ll recognise.

The LoveRaw Advent Calendar is. The usual 24 windows we are familiar with hide medallions of LoveRaw vegan chocolate behind a foil covering which keeps them fresh as well as increasing the anticipation as you open them! LoveRaw isn’t aimed specifically at children, but the chocolate pieces are decorated with Christmas themes, just like the ones we had as children. The pieces are only about the size of a 2 pence coin (3.3grams per piece) so there isn’t an indulgent amount that will spoil dinner but still gives you the chocolate hit.

What was the chocolate like? I took it upon myself to try several pieces and I can confidently say that it does indeed taste like chocolate! The advent calendar is milk chocolate flavoured (we know there is no actual milk in it though) but the flavour is slightly more of a darker chocolate flavour, but not at all bitter. I think because there is added sugar, the LoveRaw chocolate tastes sweeter. There is no bitter aftertaste with it though, like some vegan chocolates have.

Whether for an adult or children, the LoveRaw advent calendar ticks all the boxes and no one will notice the difference between vegan and ‘unvegan’!

RRP £6.99

LoveRaw Chocolates

Children, chocolate, Family Life, Lunchbox Fillers, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I’m always on the lookout for new snacks, especially ones that aren’t unhealthy or might be a better option than a multipack from the supermarket where no one in our household likes certain flavours! LoveRaw are a plant-based company who produce milk and white chocolate bars that suit the whole family. We were sent a selection box with a mix of both types of chocolate to see how we liked them…

Inside the box was:

LoveRaw Cream Wafer Bar, milk chocolate (43 grams)

LoveRaw Peanut Butter Caramel Bar, milk chocolate (40 grams)

LoveRaw Nutty Choc Balls, milk Chocolate (28 grams)

LoveRaw Cream Wafer Bar, white chocolate (45 grams)

LoveRaw Cream Wafer Bar Caramelised Biscuit, white chocolate (45 grams)

You’d be forgiven if you think you might have seen some of these bars on the supermarket shelves before, or at least a few of the supermarket elements in these bars as LoveRaw have invented some new varieties. All of the chocolate is plant-based and therefore it’s vegan and suitable for everyone to eat. Instead of milk or cream, coconut milk is used instead to give the creamy texture to make the chocolate, both milk and white variations.

Starting with the Cream Wafer Bars, there are two in each pack and they’re individually wrapped. Neither the white nor the milk chocolate bars contain anything artificial (“No Artificial Nonsense” as it says on the packs!) and are palm oil free. The bars are hazelnut filled wafers with either a vegan white chocolate flavoured coating or a milk chocolate flavoured coating. The Caramlised Biscuit Cream Wafer Bar has more bite to it with cinnamon filled wafters and have a caramel flavoured coating. These Cream Wafer Bars are great for snacks at lunchtime, they’re pretty filling and taste like chocolate too.

The LoveRaw Nutty Choc Balls are only 81 calories per ball and also vegan and plant based. Each Nutty Ball has a whole hazelnut in a cocoa coating and nut croquante on the outside. They’re about the size of a lychee and also individually wrapped so you can share them, or eat them at different times!

Available directly from EatLoveRaw.com, promotions include:

20% off 6 packs
30% off 12 packs
40% off 24 packs

Promotions start from Friday 24th Nov – Sunday 26th. With an extra 5% off on Cyber Monday.

NOMO Christmas Chocolates

Children, chocolate, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Stocking Fillers, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

NOMO (No More Missing Out) have brought out a lovely range of Christmas chocolates for 2023, aimed at anyone who is allergic to the main allergens (dairy, gluten, egg and nuts) or lives a plant based life. We were sent some of the selection to review, and frankly, it’s the best part of our job when we have to force ourselves to eat chocolate!

The selection of NOMO Sharing Boxes contain 140 grams of chocolates, each individually wrapped and there’s about 12 chocolates in each box. There are three flavours of the sharing boxes; Choc Orange Crunch, Caramel and Mint. All of the sharing boxes are vegan chocolate, plant based and free from eggs, dairy nuts and gluten so are suitable for the whole family.

If you’re familiar with the ‘big brand’ chocolates then you’ll recognise what type of confectionary these flavours are based on. The Caramel flavour is milk chocolate with a soft caramel filling. They’re arranged as two squares for each of the sweets, so you can take your time over eating them and the chocolate is surprisingly thick. The Choc Orange Crunch isn’t a fondant filling but more of an enriched chocolate filling with piece of – you guessed it – crunchy flavoured orange pieces. The last box is the Mint flavour which was my favourite. Again, there was generous chocolate but also a lot of the mint fondant filling which was soft at room temperature and reminded me of another famous brand.

We were also sent the NOMO Reindeers in Choc Fudge and Cookie Dough flavours. These individually wrapped chocolates weigh 33 grams and 30 grams respectively and are also vegan and free from eggs, nuts, gluten and dairy. They’re perfect for adding to children’s stockings or for Christmas parties where you don’t know if the kids are all able to tolerate conventional milk chocolate. The Cookie Dough flavour is soft with slightly crunchy pieces covered in NOMO milk chocolate. The child in me insisted on eating the reindeer ears first but there’s no obligation! The Choc Fudge flavour was my favourite though as it was rich, deep fudge that was slightly gooey and very indulgent. It’s a real chocolate lover’s treat.

The sharing boxes are an excellent idea no matter what time of year and are just the right portion size to be eaten after dinner over the Christmas period. They’re also great for school lunchboxes or for anyone who’s never tried plant-based chocolates before. For those of us who are always scrambling for last minute gifts for the neighbours, these NOMO sharing boxes mean you don’t have to worry about offending anyone with an allergy by giving them something they can’t enjoy! The NOMO Reindeers are a great pick-me-up for the supermarket too, or to enjoy on car journeys throughout the festive period.

NOMO are continuing to make great fun chocolate that’s appealing to everyone and more importantly, more accessible. There is indeed No Missing Out anymore when it comes to chocolate.

Joe & Seph’s Halloween Popcorn

Autumn, Children, chocolate, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Halloween, Vegetarian, Winter

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

There’s no tricks just treats at our house this Halloween and I’m looking forward to curling up in front of the fire with these delicious treats from Joe & Seph’s.

Known for their amazing selection of flavoured gourmet popcorn, Joe & Seph’s make their popcorn in small batches using only the finest, natural ingredients which means all their popcorn is packed full of flavour. I’m gradually working my way through the flavours and as it is almost Halloween the Toffee Apple and Cinnamon and the Pumpkin Spice popcorn seemed the obvious ones to try next!

The Toffee Apple & Cinnamon gourmet popcorn is coated in smooth buttery caramel and tastes absolutely delicious. After the initial caramel you get the apple coming through followed by the cinnamon. It’s all the flavour of a toffee apple without the mess! The combination of autumnal flavours works incredibly well and is a perfect treat for witches, ghouls and monsters young and old.

The pumpkin spice air popped popcorn is darker in colour than the toffee apple & cinnamon one and just as moreish – think pumpkin pie in popcorn form. This deliciously aromatic popcorn is satisfyingly crunchy and is one of Joe & Seph’s tastiest creations yet –winning a 1-Star Gold 2020 Great Taste Award before even launching!

The Chocolate Popcorn Pumpkins are perfect for any chocoholic – delicious Pumpkin Spice flavoured popcorn is encased in a creamy milk chocolate pumpkin – complete with pumpkin faces! The creaminess of the chocolate combined with the tasty popcorn makes it a real decadent treat and despite having 4 servings in the 63g bag this is one treat I won’t be sharing!!

RRP Toffee Apple & Cinnamon and Pumpkin Spice Gourmet Popcorn £4

Chocolate Popcorn Pumpkins £3.50

NOMO Chocolate Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Children, chocolate, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’ve never heard of NOMO, then this Christmas you will certainly see the brand in the shops and especially on the advent calendar section of supermarkets. NOMO stands for No Missing Out and relates to the fact that their chocolate is vegan and free from dairy, gluten egg and nuts. So no one who has any of those major intolerances will miss out on chocolate this Christmas.

The same size as most advent calendars, the NOMO chocolate advent calendar has 24 windows to cover the whole of advent. Behind each windows is a scrumptious creamy chocolate drop made with Rainforest Alliance cocoa and is entirely plant based, hence there aren’t the allergens that other chocolates contain. The chocolate instead contains rice powder, shea oil, sea salt and flavourings with a dash of sugar too.

You really can’t taste that the NOMO chocolate is any different to traditional chocolate. It’s still smooth and creamy, still has the milk chocolate taste and no after taste.

At £5 for the calendar it compares to other brands too. If you’re giving this as a gift to someone you don’t know very well, it works perfectly because anyone can eat it no matter their intolerances or allergies! Children will love the chocolate behind each window but adults will love it just as much as the packaging isn’t just for children. Father Christmas is dressed in blue though – like the NOMO logo colours!

You can find not just advent calendars by NOMO this Christmas but lots of other chocolate sweets which we’ll be reviewing later this week. You can find NOMO in supermarkets such as Waitrose, Co-Op, Morrison, Holland & Barratt, Nisa, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

Available from £5 at: https://nomochoc.com/products/advent-calendar-2

Maxtris Chocolate Advent Calendar from Sacla

advent calendar, Children, chocolate, Christmas, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Everyone knows European chocolate is the best there is. It’s the ingredients, the way it’s made and a centuries old history that elevates it above all else out there. The Maxtris Chocolate Advent Calendar from Sacla is Italy’s finest confectionary, all bundled up in Christmas in the form of 24 drawers each filled with chocolate.

The A4 sized boxed chocolates are extremely pretty, with doors that open up to reveal the 24 windows for each day of advent. Behind each drawer there is a chocolate from a range that includes Extra Dark 70%, Milk, Pistachio and Noisette. Each of the chocolates are reminiscent of another brand of round, individually wrapped European chocolates, with a coating of chocolate around a filling of softer fondant chocolate which melts at a lower temperature. After having tried several of the chocolates for this review (yes, I know it’s not Advent yet but I am testing them after all!) I can confidently confirm that these chocolates are actually much nicer. Maxitris chocolates don’t have the processed taste to them, they feel more natural and have the sweetness of the chocolate coming through instead of the added sugar that other brands have. They taste more authentic.

The advent calendar itself is gorgeous. The bright red packaging, which is very sturdy and suitable for posting, is well made and recyclable. The little drawers behind the doors are individually numbered save for a few which you can work out as you hunt for numbers. There’s cartoons of Santa, elves and a reindeer plus a shiny gold metallic finish to each of the illustrations. Once you get to drawer 24, Christmas Eve, there isn’t an extra special prize unfortunately, but if you felt like it, you could always add something yourself as the drawers aren’t fixed and can be opened and closed without ruining them.

This is a lovely calendar for adults or children. Children will like the bright colours and discovering what’s inside each drawer whereas adults will appreciate the exquisite chocolates. The whole calendar can be re-purposed as well, either adding something different or extra to the drawers, or keep the whole calendar for next year when you put something different in it, even if it’s not chocolate or sweets. It’s not gender specific nor does it have any year assigned to it so this could be used again and again!

A perfect gift for chocolate lovers, anyone who loves Christmas or anything to do with Italy. Looks very pretty on the mantel piece too!

Available from £25.00 at: https://www.sacla.co.uk/products/advent-calendar-by-maxtris?variant=43821577175270

HaPPi Oat Mil Chocolate Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Children, chocolate, eco friendly, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Plastic free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer : We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all words and opinions are our own

A fun way to count down the days to Christmas is with an advent calendar and these days there so many different ones to choose from. When you have food allergies and intolerances though, the choice of chocolate calendars is very restricted, so I was really pleased to be able to try an oat milk chocolate advent calendar from HaPPi Choc.

The calendar has a fun Christmas bauble design on the front with 24 numbered doors to help you count down to the big day. Behind each door you will find a delicious Salted Caramel, Plain Milk or Orange oat milk chocolate wrapped chocolate. The chocolate is suitable for Vegans and is also gluten, soya & palm oil free, as well as dairy, egg & nut free so it is the perfect choice for anyone with a food intolerance or who eats a plant based diet.

Lower in sugar than other chocolate brands HaPPi chocolate is sustainably sourced with their cacao purchased directly from Luker, a Columbian family owned business and co-operative. HaPPi are 100% ethically driven and work closely with a network of farmers, alliances and communities to improve social welfare, biodiversity and farming practices and their oat milk chocolate is made using single origin 47% Colombian cacao and oat milk.

In line with HaPPi’s sustainable ethos all the packaging is recyclable with the calendar containing no plastic at all. The inner tray that contains the chocolates is made from cardboard rather than plastic which is fantastic, I’ve been trying to reduce my plastic use this year so it’s great to have an eco-friendly advent calendar this year. HaPPi also give 1% of their annual net sales revenue to good causes and mental health organisations so buying a HaPPi advent calendar helps lots of other people too.

With smooth creamy chocolates no one needs to miss out on a chocolate advent calendar this year.

Divine Deliciously Smooth 70% Dark Chocolate Advent Calendar and Joyful Caramel, Hazelnut and Candied Orange Chocolate Bar

advent calendar, Children, chocolate, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

The world is divided into those who love dark chocolate and those who detest it. I am definitely a lover of dark chocolate, and the higher cocoa content the better so this 70% advent calendar from Divine was mine for the taking. Plus, I’m never one to pass up the opportunity to try chocolate, so when it came with Divine’s Joyful Christmas chocolate in caramel, hazelnut and candied orange flavour, there was no stopping me!

The advent calendar is packed with 24 windowed chocolate pieces, one for every day of advent up until Christmas Eve. The calendar itself is beautiful, in black packaging to illustrate the dark chocolate and brightly coloured with decorations and figures of the farmers who product the cocoa. Unlike other calendars, this one is vegan too.

Every bar of Divine Chocolate helps to directly change the lives of cocoa farmers around the world. Divine Chocolates are made with only Fairtrade cocoa and sugar, so the majority of the ingredients are sourced from the right farmers who are given the right compensation. That alone should make you feel good about buying Divine Chocolate but it doesn’t stop there. All of the flavours and ingredients are natural, and they use only 100% pure cocoa butter. Additionally, Divine are helping to save the environment and habitations too by using NO palm oil.

This is an advent calendar clearly children will enjoy but adults will too, and anyone with a conscience will appreciate that somewhere in Ghana, there is a farmer and his family whose life will be improved by you supporting Divine Chocolate.

What is the Joyful chocolate like though? As a special edition for Christmas, this chocolate is 45% cocoa so a higher amount than typical milk chocolate without being bitter. You can feel the texture of the hazelnut filling and there are lovely pieces of caramel to give it the slightly sticky, sweet taste too. I can’t say that the orange flavour is very strong, so if you’re a fan of citrus or candied orange then this isn’t overpowering. The whole bar is a grown-up way of celebrating Christmas though, and very moreish. I would suggest this is a good treat for when you’re Christmas shopping, or to have one dark evening after dinner. If you give chocolate and money as gifts to adults, I would recommend the Divine Joyful Christmas Chocolate every time, but don’t expect it to last past Boxing Day!

Advent calendar available for £5 from Ocado, Whole Foods, Oxfam and online at: https://www.divinechocolate.com/product/divine-dark-70-chocolate-advent-calendar

Joyful Christmas Chocolate bar available for £4.50: https://www.divinechocolate.com/product/divine-joyful-christmas-bar-180g

Divine Seriously Smooth Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar

advent calendar, Children, chocolate, Christmas, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Stocking Fillers

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Chocolate is no longer just for children, nor is it the over-farmed, unfair trade that it used to be, or at least it doesn’t have to be if you choose the right retailer. Divine Chocolate is co-owned by cocoa farmers to give them a better deal on their wares plus improves the standard of the chocolate. It’s a win/win for everyone and their 2023 advent calendars are no exception!

We were sent two to try, the first one being the Seriously Smooth Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar. With 24 days (or nights if you’re being pedantic) of chocolate to taste, it’s the usual size and structure of an advent calendar. Slightly larger than A4 size, it can be posted and most of it is recyclable due to the cardboard involved. The windows open to reveal a Christmas-themed chocolate which appeals to both children and adults. Nothing complicated about that? Well there isn’t anything complicated, it’s just that the chocolate has secret powers… Secret powers to change lives. Let me explain more.

What is the chocolate like though? Well as you would imagine, it’s smooth milk chocolate, and it has a more authentic chocolate taste because it has pure cocoa butter and contains no palm oil. No substitutions mean that it’s a richer, smoother chocolate both in texture and taste.

Available for £5 from Ocado, Whole Foods, Oxfam and online at: https://www.divinechocolate.com/product/divine-milk-chocolate-advent-calendar